By The Light Of Dying Embers
by Thoughts in Chaos
Summary: AU: A terrorist attack has unleashed hell on the US. NSA agent Keira Murphy holds the key to what happened, and potentially how to stop it, but the answers lie locked away in a mind left traumatised by an incident of betrayal. Finding survivors along the way it turns into a battle to keep the dying embers of a crippled country alive, but is it already to late?
1. Chapter 1

___Had this idea kicking around for a few weeks now as a second attempt for the tried and true zombie apocalypse plot. I pulled the other one down because it had been so long since I originally started combined with a water thin plot that I had pretty much lost all motivation to continue it. This one, so far, seemed to be rather promising in the idea department. Here's hoping!_

_If the summary seems as if a few words are missing I apologise, but for some odd reason it's not saving the description properly right now despite it being well within the character limit._

* * *

_Two cars weaved dangerously through the traffic on wet roads cutting off startled commuters as a Chevrolet Impala pursued a stolen Range Rover, trying to edge it towards an exit ramp and force it off the free-way. It pulled onto the SUV's left side, only to fall back when shots were fired from the back passenger window._

_Face set in grim determination, the Impala's driver didn't take his eyes off the road when he heard familiar click coming from where his partner sat. "What the hell are you doing, Murphy?" _

"_We have to stop them somehow, Carter."_

"_Are you insane?!" He exclaimed, "If that thing flips and the package becomes airborne, we're screwed!"_

"_I'm aware," Murphy replied, "But if they disappear with it things will be a whole lot worse. Now get along side them again."_

_He growled, knowing that Murphy was right. Stepping on the gas the Chevrolet roared and lunged forward, once again encroaching on the left side of the Range Rover. With the passenger window down Murphy took am with an HK45, lining the sights up with the back seat just behind the driver and fired to take out the one who had shot at them. The SUV fishtailed precariously, the driver spooked by the return fire, but stayed the course before taking the next exit, scattering or ramming unsuspecting motorists out of his way. The pursuers followed, chasing their quarry down a series of alleyways and back streets, sporadic gunfire exchanged between the two vehicles. _

_Eventually the chase came to its inevitable conclusion. A bullet struck one of the Rover's rear wheels and the sudden loss of a tire sent it into an uncontrollable swerve before rolling, the screaming tear of metal along asphalt accompanied a spectacular shower of sparks and the Impala came to a skidding halt. Carter and Murphy got out with guns drawn, cautiously approaching the wreck as dark clouds overhead opened up with another summer storm which did nothing to alleviate the stifling humidity. Boots crunched on shattered safety glass from blown out windows while a the smell of gasoline was carried on a breeze loaded with approaching sirens. The local law was on its way so they had to wrap this up; fast. _

_Suddenly one of the damaged doors swung open and a man emerged with a large revolver gripped tightly in his hand._

_"Drop the gun!" __Carter yelled._

_He ignored the order and instead bought it to bear on the agent, only to have his head snap back violently as a bullet slammed home. Carter glanced to his right as Murphy overtook him heading to one side of the car while he went the opposite. The back seat shooter was already dead, the shot Murphy had taken on the free-way had hit him in the back and lodged somewhere in his chest, an AK-47 lying on the upturned roof the the SUV. The last one left was unconscious and bleeding, dangling upside down in the front passenger side secured by his seat belt._

"_Hurry up, Murph, those sirens are getting damn close."_

_Murphy searched the trashed interior before finally coming across a small back case. It had a few scratches but otherwise looked to be holding up. Snapping open the catches Murphy opened it up and quickly checked it's contents before letting out a sigh of relief._

"_The package is intact, Carter. Lets get the hell out of here." He held his hand out for it and Murphy passed it over then headed for the car. "What are you waiting f-"_

_Before Murphy could finish the report of Carter's gun sounded off, instantly followed by a searing pain. The ground came rushing up to meet the agent as a second round went off, ending the life of the last surviving would be terrorist. Murphy's breathing became laboured, fighting to stay conscious as the approach of footsteps neared._

"_Nothing personal, Murph, but these are tough times," Carter said, his voice sounding strange and far away as his partner fought to hang on to the tenuous thread of life, "I'm gonna miss you."_

_There was one last thunderous bark, then nothing but the rush of oblivion._

* * *

_Where am I?_

Life and light came flooding back to reality in equally painful measures bringing with it disorientation and confusion. Eyes darted around the room trying to comprehend the unfamiliar surroundings, machines and plastic tubing surrounding the bed like some bizarre sentinel. As the world slowly came back into focus so too did recognition; it was a hospital room. Fingers pushed the call button for a nurse, but there was no response, even after several tries. The patient's unease grew at both the abnormal silence and the increasing realisation of missing memories, something felt very wrong.

_**Who** am I?_

The patient looked at the plastic identification bracelet in hope for at least that answer but found nothing but frustration.

Jane Doe.

_Well that's helpful_.

Disentangling herself from the myriad of tubes and needles she sat up only to immediately regretting the decision, her chest and side feeling as if it had been skewered with a poker. Taking a peek under the hospital gown she was surprised at the bandages that were underneath. It didn't smell very fresh either, so why hadn't it been changed recently? What the hell had happened? Using the IV stand for a little support she managed to stand up on shaky legs and picked up her chart that hung from the end of the bed, trying to find anything that could help her work out the when and why of her stay here. The admission date read the thirtieth of September, now all she had to do was find out today's date. It wasn't much, but at least it was a start into piecing together the fractured puzzle she had woken up with.

The crushing silence was becoming unnerving, some ingrained instinct screaming at her move and that it wasn't safe here. Once her legs had stopped shaking under her own weight she made a move for the door, opening it slowly and peeking through the gap to make sure the coast was clear. The idea of a hospital of all places being dangerous seemed absurd but it was there all the same. Slipping out of the room she silently made her way to the nearest nurses station which was down the far end of the hall.

The place was a mess; tiles from the ceiling had been knocked out and most of the lights were destroyed, the few that were left running on some backup generator flickered weakly casting abstract shadows along the walls. Gurneys and debris were scattered all over the place, like some massive panic had swept through the building. She reached the station and went behind the desk, searching through draws and shuffling through papers to find anything that could be of use. There was a small pen light, set of keys attached to a lanyard, a lighter and a water dispenser with a half full bottle in the corner of the small reception cubicle. At the sight of it she was overtaken by just how thirsty she was, pulling one of the disposable cups from a nearby stack and began to drink greedily. With dehydration no longer an immediate concern she moved on. What she needed now was clothes, having her bare ass hanging out of the back of a hospital gown didn't seem like the best of ideas. Even if she could just track down some scrubs it would make her feel a lot better. While wandering aimlessly she wondered just what had happened while she lay asleep in that bed to cause the sort of damage she was seeing.

_Wait a second. Are those.. bullet holes?_

Who in their right mind would shoot up a hospital? The harrying sense of wrongness pushed down with even more urgency. She needed to get out of here ASAP. She picked up the pace as much as her injuries would allow, there had to be a change room around somewhere. When she found what she was looking for it was in the same sort of state as the rest of the place, lockers were left open and their contents strewn all over the floor. Ignoring it she set about looking for clothes and after sifting through discarded items for a couple of minutes she was finally able to find something that fit, even if it was a little big. As she turned to leave a sudden wave of nausea hit, causing her to expel the water she had not long a go. She had a good idea why she was feeling like crap but she didn't feel safe here to check out just what was under the tape and gauze. She'd see what she could hastily rustle up in way of medical supplies and get the hell out of this building, grabbing a large discarded handbag and emptied it of its contents along the way.

Finding a supply store she began stuffing the bag with fresh bandages, tape, and whatever else would make a good first aid kit; even a multitude of the small vials and a few syringes, finding it odd that she somehow knew what they were for.

_Was I a nurse? A doctor? Why do I know these things?_

She roughly shoved the idea aside for now and zipped up the bag, this was no place for speculation. It was time to go, this place was creeping her out way to much. Grabbing a scalpel on the way out the small blade made her feel just a little more secure. Taking a glance at a large map that showed the layout of the hospital she headed straight for the nearest exit. She reached the ground floor but shied when she neared the large open space of the waiting room; there were voices.

"This is such a dumb idea," One said, sounding distinctly male, "Even if the place is free of Stiffs, do you honestly thing there's anything worth salvaging here? It's probably been cleaned out already."

"I don't like it either, but we don't have a hell of a lot of choice," Replied a second, also male, but his voice was deeper than the first one. "If we can't find anything on this floor we'll get the hell out, I'm not risking my neck trying to search the whole damn building."

Pressing up against the wall her grip tightened around the scalpel as they approached, finding it strange that she knew exactly how to hold it as if it were a weapon. _Guess that cancels out being some sort of healthcare professional_. Sweat that had broken out across her brow threatened to drip into her eyes and her body started to shake in protest to the stress on its battered system as the nausea was fighting to come back for a second round. Slowly she backed into the darkened corner, only to freeze when something cracked underfoot.

"Wait, did you hear that?" The second man asked his companion, "Came from over there."

"May was well check it out, I don't want something sneaking up behind us thinking it's snack time."

_Shit. Shitshitshit_.

There was no escape behind her, the only way out was forward. With the scalpel gripped tightly in one hand and bag of supplies in the other she waited, muscles tensed like a cobra waiting to strike. When man number two finally came around the corner she threw the bag and he caught it out of instinct with a sound of surprise, narrowly dodging the small but deadly blade that followed it.

"What the fuck?!"

She came at him again with weapon poised, muscle memory taking over her actions as she lashed out. But her injured state made her sluggish and slow, the brief and violent flurry coming to an end when he caught her wrist in his large hand and twisted, the sharp pain making her cry out and the scalpel clattered harmlessly to the floor. Thinking he had the better of his would be attacker he let his guard slip and paid for it with a knee to the groin. The low blow doubled him over and she struck out with frenzied fists, driving him back a few steps, but achieved little else as they lacked the strength to do any real and lasting damage. Shrugging it off he charged, catching her in the gut with a shoulder tackle.

It pushed the nausea over the line and again the reflex to vomit racked her frame, only there was nothing to bring up this time. Her chest felt as if it were on fire, whatever was wrapped up seemed to have been more than aggravated by the sudden assault. Head spinning and limbs feeling like lead the seductive call of unconsciousness beckoned, but to heed it would be the worst mistake she could make. Desperately looking around she found herself among shards of broken glass and in the back of her mind was somehow amazed that she hadn't been torn to ribbons. Or perhaps she was and she just couldn't distinguish it from everything else yet.

The two scavengers looked at one another then eyed their ambusher warily, not knowing what to make of her at all. Dark blood was beginning to seep through the ill fitting cotton shirt but it hadn't been torn, leading them to the conclusion of a previous injury. How it was sustained was the primary question for them though.

"Don't even think about it," The first man ordered with a gun drawn as she made a move for a large shard of glass, more than likely intent on throwing herself at them again. "Stand up, slowly." With visible effort she did as she was told, her small case of the shakes becoming more noticeable tremors. A look was exchanged between the two men as they took in her pale appearance, she didn't look well at all. "Who are you?"

"I... don't know." Her voice cracked as she spoke, like it hadn't been used for a while. She shook the wrist that was clipped with the disposable bracelet, "Seems the hospital staff didn't know either."

"Were you bit?" The other man asked, motioning towards her blood soaked side.

It seemed like the most bizarre question she had ever been asked, "What?"

"Were. You. Bit?" He repeated slowly with a hint of hostility edging in.

She squeezed her eyes shut momentarily and shook her head in an attempt to clear it but it had the opposite effect, the seductive call to pass out turning into a demand that she couldn't fight any longer. "I think... I'm going to..."

Surprise took the pair as she swayed a little then fell to the floor, falling once again into the comforting arms of darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

"_They're not bites, they're bullet wounds. It looked like the skin had almost finished healing over, but I'm thinking the little dance you shared was counter productive."_

"_Considering the alternative, I guess that's a good thing."_

"_Possibly, but they weren't the only signs of injuries I found. There's older scar tissue as well. Whatever this woman used to do, it was dangerous. Which would make it a safe bet that **she** is dangerous."_

"_No kidding, I'm pretty sure she would've been able to kill me on any other day. Think she's military?"_

"_You're guess is as good as mine."_

The irritating sound of conversation reached down into the depths of a dreamless sleep and pulled the consciousness back to reality with startling speed, only to turn around and slap her with a pounding headache. Waking up was quickly becoming her least favourite thing to do as discomfort and throbbing pain seemed to be everywhere. She went to move a hand to massage an aching temple only to find she couldn't move it. A rising tide of panic roiled in her gut at the discovery of being strapped down to a bed in an unfamiliar room; today was so not her day.

"You might want to settle down. carrying on like that isn't going to make you heal any faster."

Immediately she stilled, eyes snapping to the right and finding a large, muscular man leaning up against a door frame. Judging by his appearance if she were to hazard a guess he was of Polynesian decent, possibly Samoan if she had to get specific about it. Thick black hair was tied back into a low pony tail and what was once a well groomed goatee was starting to grow out due to lack of trimming or shaving. His right arm marked with a full sleeve tattoo of a particular tribal design that helped to reinforce her assumption of his heritage. He looked calm and casual, but the guarded set of his dark eyes gave him away as he absently played with the medical identification bracelet that had previously been around her wrist. He was just as wary of her as she was of him. In her current state the idea almost made her want to laugh.

He watched her carefully, her exhaustion still obvious but she was alert and aware, so perhaps he could finally get some answers. He straightened up and slowly crossed the room to pull out a nearby chair that had been pushed under a desk and sat down, arms crossed loosely over the back of it.

"So... Jane Doe," He began slowly, reading off the name she had been designated with, "Any idea why you ended up shot twice to land you in a hospital bed?" Her brow furrowed in concentration, then eventually frustration as she shook her head. "Alright, what's the last thing you can remember?"

"Washington," Finally came the raspy reply, "The capitol, not the state... A man in a suit. Something about orders."

"Orders for what?"

"Even if I could remember, why the hell would I tell you?" She became agitated again, jerking her wrists that had been bound by zip ties, "Is this really necessary?"

"You came at me with a scalpel," He answered, "We have no idea who you are-"

"_I_ have no idea who I am." She retorted.

He took a moment to bite down in his rising annoyance before continuing, "We had no idea how you'd react once you woke up again, so we did it for both our safety and yours." He stood up again and she instantly stopped what she was doing. He pulled something out of the back pocket of his pants, the distinct _snik_ of a switch-blade sounded loud in the quiet room. With the knife in one hand he leaned forward, right knee sinking into the edge of the mattress. "As a show of trust, I'm going to cut you loose," He said carefully as her eyes followed the trail of the blade, "But make no mistake, if you try anything or attempt to hurt anyone under this roof, I'll kill you. I really don't want to if I can help it, but I will if you leave me no alternative. Understand?"

She studied him a moment, as if there were actually any other viable options to weigh against his warning, "Fine, I can play nice."

He cut the plastic binds and backed off, "Come out when you're ready and you can meet everyone else."

With that he left and she waited while listening to his retreating footsteps before hearing quiet voices at the other end of the house. Slowly she stood up, noticing the shirt he was now in wasn't the one she had found. Finding her reflection in a mirror she gingerly slipped her left arm out of the sleeve and pulled it up, evaluating the the work of whoever had reapplied the fresh dressings. It was tight but not uncomfortably so, whoever did it at least knew what they were doing. Probing fingers pressed up against the bandaged flesh, causing herself to wince while trying to figure out just what had happened, as if the pain could somehow spark a memory.

_Who shot me? And for what reason? Was I a criminal? A cop?_

With a low growl she shoved the thoughts aside for the time being, she would drive herself mad otherwise. Looking further she saw the scars that the other person was talking about. Two pink lines marred the skin on her left side, something like that would have come from something sharp. Further down on her right just above the hip was evidence that she had apparently been shot once before, turning around she discovered that the bullet had passed clean through on that occasion. It really made her wonder just what life choices she had made where getting stabbed and shot at seemed to be a somewhat common occurrence. Straightening out the top she took a deep breath before heading down the hall, there was no point in delaying the inevitable.

Her steps were silent and careful, as if it were habit she noticed, and as a result startled the next person she came across.

"Jeez, would it kill you to make some noise?"

"Perhaps you should see it as it might not kill you to be more aware of your surroundings."

"The woman has a point," The man who cut her free agreed. The other guy simply snorted and moved to the other side of the room, this time keeping his back to a wall. "The guy you just spooked is my cousin, Jey. The two ladies over there are AJ and Layla." Gesturing with a wave in their general direction the two women looked as if they were sizing up the new addition before supposedly losing interest. "I'm Roman, and the guy responsible for patching you up again is Seth. He's currently in the kitchen."

It was obvious she wasn't that interested in the house's occupants just yet and instead took in her surroundings, again something that felt like a well worn habit. "None of you actually live here, do you." It was less of a question and more of a statement. None of the faces in the room matched any of the various photos that had been left behind.

"No, the whole neighbourhood looks like it had been abandoned early on when everything started," Roman replied. "Jey, Seth and I were getting out of town ourselves when our car got blind-sided. We found the girls along the way while trying to find a place to lay low for a couple of days, then hopefully find some wheels and get the hell out of here."

"But what was it that started, exactly?"

"The end of the world," The shorter of the two women, AJ, answered quietly.

"We don't know that," Jey said, "Just because everything here went to shit doesn't mean the whole planet stopped turning."

"And just how long a go was this?"

"Three weeks a go, give or take," Roman supplied, "Why?"

"Trying to work out how long I've been out of it." She frowned, then shook her head, "I don't suppose you can give me today's date? Even the month would be fine."

"Fifth of November... Are you alright?" Roman asked as she grimaced while pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Dehydrated, it's starting to give me a migraine."

He her into the kitchen, where a man with two toned hair was busy with something over a portable gas burner; Seth, she presumed. Pulling out a chair Roman motioned for her to sit then pulled an unopened bottle of water from a nearby cupboard along with a plastic bottle of pain killers. Shaking out several capsules and cracking the water bottle's seal she swallowed double the recommended dose while Mr Two Tone set six plates down on the table then went and called the others from the living room.

"Don't drink it so fast, you'll just make yourself sick," He commented as the others came to join them and sat to the right of her.

"Can't help it, feels like I haven't had anything in days."

"That's because you more than likely haven't." He pushed the serving of beans around with a spoon a little before finally eating, "So what do we call you?"

"I guess for the time being it's Jane." She shrugged, though clearly unamused with the prospect, "So, care to enlighten me just why the world went to hell in a hand basket?"

"I'll explain it as best I can," Roman said and set his spoon down, "Like I said, it started roughly three weeks a go. They were calling it a terrorist attack worse than 9/11. It was some sort of airborne virus, spread by several IED's in major cities; New York, LA, Huston, Miami, Chicago... It was bad all over. Whatever it was started making people really sick and it wasn't long before the CDC had declared it a national emergency within the first couple of days when the reports for the death tolls came in. As insane and impossible as it sounds though, that wasn't the worst part. People were dying, but they weren't staying dead."

A virus that reanimated a corpse? As far fetched and horrifying as it sounded, it also had a troubling shadow of something familiar about it. It concerned Jane, far more than she was currently willing to admit.

"So basically it's like George Romano's Dawn Of The Dead outside?"

"Think more the 2004 remake," Seth replied, "The fuckers can run when they have a mind to."

"Jesus..."

Silence fell on the small group as she processed this new information for a while, understanding that waking up to find the world you once knew had completely changed and not for the better was a lot to take in. She had been out cold for over a month. The human body couldn't survive more than a few days without fluid, so when exactly did the hospital finally fall? Her head buzzed with so many questions that had no answers that it made her want to scream. Why was it she could remember certain things, like knowledge for survival, how to fight and even kill, but she couldn't remember one single thing about her identity as a person? Abruptly she stood up and stalked out, she couldn't handle being around people right now. Layla began to go after her, but thought the better of it when Roman caught her eye and shook his head. They had all gone through their own reactions of dealing with what had happened, and now it was Jane's turn.

She paced up and down the darkened hallway of a stranger's home, trying to ignore the few family portraits of proud parents and a small army of children that had been left behind in the mad dash to find some safe haven elsewhere. Something made her stop in her tracks, a noise that was coming from outside near one of the covered, barricaded windows. Edging closer she pulled back the heavy blanket and peered through a narrow gap in between the boards, the setting sun almost blinding her until something stood in the way.

_What the fuck is that?!_

The creature that was once a man wandered around the front yard; his right arm had been torn off at the elbow and his face looked like it had been mauled by wild animals. His tattered shirt had been shredded to ribbons, a gust of wind blowing them around like macabre streamers, revealing a battered and broken ribcage. Beyond him a few more staggered aimlessly around the street. It suddenly turned and stumbled toward the window and instinctively she let go of the makeshift curtain and back-pedalled towards the far end of the hallway. This couldn't be happening, it was too cruel for words. It had to be some sort of nightmare she was trapped in and couldn't wake up from just yet. Shaking set in again as she panted for breath and muscles ached as if under a huge amount of pressure.

_It's not real. None of this is real, it can't be..._

It was Seth who had drawn the short straw on finding their knew house mate, what he had found was troubling,"Hey..."

"It's not real... The people in this house aren't real. The people in that photo aren't real... That... _thing_ out on the lawn isn't real... _None of this is fucking real._"

_Christ, she must have looked out the window_.

"Jane, look at me. I'm real," Seth said, trying to break through. If she freaked out completely there was no telling what could happen. Slowly he inched closer, hesitating a little before bringing a hand to rest on her shoulder. "See? I'm real. You're having a panic attack and you need to calm down." With her back to the wall they slowly sank to the floor, his hand moving from her shoulder to slowly rub up and down her back while she took hold of his free one. The woman had one hell of a grip but he tried not to let it show, he couldn't even guess at what it must be like to wake up to a living nightmare and not having a clue about who you are or why someone shot you. Twice. "That's it, just slow, deep breaths." They stayed like that for a time, Seth keeping up the soft murmuring encouragement as Jane slowly regained a hold of herself.

"What did you do before all this?" Jane asked, trying to distract herself while slowly clenching clenching her hands over and over again in an effort to get them to stop shaking.

"I was a nurse in a retirement home," He replied, "I came down from Iowa to visit my buddies, then all this mayhem started."

"And the others?"

"Roman was a security guard, mainly on armoured trucks. Jey had a landscaping business with his brother, Jimmy. Layla worked in some kind of office and AJ says she worked in IT." When he was sure she wasn't going to freak out again he stood up and offered her his hand, "I know you're probably sick of the sight of beds, but you should try and get some rest."

"So long as I don't wake up strapped to it again."

He couldn't help but grin a little at the comment, "I promise."

Taking his hand he helped Jane to her feet and led her back to the same room she had woken up in. It must have belonged to a teenage boy as large posters for games of military shooters, cars, rock bands and bikini clad girls covered the walls. Seth then disappeared for a moment and then returned with a fresh bottle of water and the pen light she had scavenged from the nurses station and put them on the bedside table.

"You going to be ok now?"

"Yeah, I was just feeling a little overwhelmed. I'm alright now." He turned to leave but stopped when she called his name, "Thanks. For not leaving me in that waiting room."

"No problem," He replied with a small smile, "Besides, there's something about you, Jane. I don't know what it is yet, but I'm sure we'll be a lot better off to have you stick around with us."


	3. Chapter 3

_She was travelling along a busy free-way at high speed, chasing an SUV that was a couple of car lengths ahead and rapidly closing the gap. There was a gun in her hands, its weight familiar like it was an extension of her own being. The person behind the wheel inspired a feeling of unshakable trust as he edged them closer. They were taking a chance, but if the truck got away she just knew it would be bad._

_On and on the chase went; off the busy free-way and into quieter streets, the peel of thunder overhead louder than it had any right to be. The SUV flipped and seem to defy gravity, if only for a moment, before it came crashing down to earth with surprisingly little noise for the display it put on._

_Suddenly she was crawling through the trashed interior, she had to find it before anyone found them. Shoving debris and scattered weapons out of the way she found it, such a small and inconspicuous thing. She felt nervous as she opened it up, like it had the potential to be Pandora's Box, but it was so very important that she knew what was inside was safe. Unbridled relief was her reward, the man in the suit would be happy that they succeeded in their mission, despite the inexplicable fuck ups that had happened to lead them to this point._

_She held it up triumphantly to her companion and could see her emotions reflected in him. Who was he? Friend? Partner? Lover? It didn't matter. She handed it over when he asked for it, probably wanting to double check the contents for himself and she headed towards the car. When he wasn't following she turned..._

"_Nothing personal," He said, but she was to busy staring down the barrel of the gun while he pulled the hammer back, the muzzle looking as wide and dark as a gaping bottomless pit, "I'm gonna miss you."_

Jane woke up with a start, heart hammering in her chest. Was that a dream or a memory? Another crash of thunder sounded off again, starting off as a shuddering crack before rolling out to fade then the sound of rain opened on the roof. Sliding off the bed she grabbed the pen light and crossed over to the desk. The kid who's room this used to be couldn't be any more than fifteen or sixteen, so there had to be a pen and paper around somewhere. Once she found what she was looking for she cleared an area on the nearby desk and began to scribble down the fragments of what she could recall of that dream. A moment later she heard movement and froze, hand reaching out for a pair of scissors.

"I really appreciate it if you didn't try and stab me with those, the scalpel was bad enough," Roman said quietly, more than a little relieved when she left them alone and relaxed a fraction. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just heard something and came to check it out."

"Don't worry about it," Jane replied before turning her attention back to the notepad, "It's a good sign that you're alert. I take it you guys have some sort of night shift vigil worked out?"

"Yeah, it seemed like the sensible thing to do." He sat on the end of the bed and rested a baseball bat at the foot of it, watching the stop and start movement of the pen, "What are you doing?"

"I figure if I can write the fragments that keep coming to mind down, perhaps I can figure out mess left in my head. It would be nice if I could remember my own name at least, being called Jane feels... just not me." Pausing she looked down at the fledgling list with a frown, "Why the hell would I even need to know all this stuff? Not exactly a requirement for your regular nine to five."

"Would you mind if I take a look?"

She shrugged and handed it over along with the light. Rough sketches, random thoughts and short phrases covered the page, even though he put it down to his imagination he could almost sense the frustration in the words that had been penned. "I know this is going to sound crazy," Roman said, "But this kind of reads like a Jason Bourne knock off crossed with MacGyver."

"What do you mean?"

"Packages, car chases, shoot outs. The exceedingly long list of how to kill people and build makeshift explosives out of what you can find around a house. Which illicit drugs could be used in a bind if you can't find the actual medical equivalent? That's... kind of disturbing."

"And yet I'm surprisingly comfortable knowing all this. Does that make it even more disturbing?" They both fell silent as something shuffled past the bedroom window, neither moving a muscle until it had moved on after a good few minutes. "Christ, I really hope I wasn't some unhinged nut case like McVeigh or something like that."

"No, I don't think you are."

"But how can you be so sure of that?"

He sighed, not knowing what to do about the pained frustration that had slipped in her tone despite the effort to hide it. "If that was the case I'm sure something would have snapped by now. Although the next thing you'll be telling me is you remember working for the CIA." He handed it back, stretched and then yawned.

"You should get some sleep, I'll take over the watch."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, with those things roaming around outside I doubt I could get back to sleep even if I wanted to."

He considered this a moment before finally agreeing and shrugged off his jacket before handing over the bat, then took off a watch that was strapped to his wrist and gave her that too. "Alright. If you've have enough go wake up Jey, he's in the room down the hall on the right. Sun up should be in a few hours."

She was almost swallowed whole by the size of his jacket but was grateful for the warmth as she left the bedroom and moved down the hallway while slipping the light into a pocket, leaving Roman under the pouting vigilance of swim suit models. Moving like a cat she did a sweep of the house, checking every door and window until she was satisfied that the hasty barricades the others had put up during their stay here held then went to take a seat in the living room. She leaned forward in the overstuffed armchair, idly rolling the bat back and forth in her hands as she sat in the dark for a long time and listened to the storm.

_A spy... CIA... Could that even be possible?_

She huffed, anything could be possible at this point. At least she had a skill set that would give her an edge in this crazy new world she had found herself thrown into.

An abrupt sound came over the rain, as if something had bumped into the window. After a few seconds it happened again followed by a low tortured moan. Slowly she stood up as it became more insistent, could it have figured out there was fresh meat inside? Circling the room Jane ended up on the right side of the noise with bat poised and ready to swing should it somehow break through. The creature began steadily hammering on the window and Jane steeled herself, heart thundering in fear and adrenaline as Jey was the first to appear from the hallway, quickly followed by the others. They made eye contact and she motioned for him to be silent, then with a signal of the hand directed them into the kitchen; if there was anything left worth a damn in the way of weapons it would be in there. The giant block of kitchen knives sitting on the island counter she had seen would be a good start.

Spreading out across the room they all huddled in the darkest corners they could find, everyone's attention fixated onto the one spot. At the first sound of cracking glass Layla jumped and quickly slapped a hand over her mouth to avoid making any unwanted noise, the butchers knife she held shaking like a leaf in the wind. AJ and Seth lurked in the kitchen on either side of the archway that connected the two rooms and pressed right up against the wall. Jey was crouching behind the armchair that was within striking distance of the hall. Roman had taken up position just a few steps behind and to the side of Jane with a cleaver. All six were as ready as they were ever going to be.

The Stiff pounded on the glass with abandon now, each blow more nerve wracking than the last before the glass finally gave way. Just as suddenly and inexplicably as it had started the creature stopped, letting out what sounded like a confused, raspy hiss. It scratched at the wooden boards that had been hammered into place, stumbling from one side to the other before it finally began to leave. None of them dared to move for long minutes until the were finally sure it had gone.

"Get the couch and prop it up against the window," Jane instructed to Seth and Jey, "We can't stay here any longer, this place is compromised."

"And just where do you propose we go to, or how to get there?" AJ hissed, "We don't have a car and none of us exactly know how to steal one."

"You might not, but I do." She glanced down at the watch, reading it as six in the morning. "It should be light within the hour, I'll go out and see what I can find."

"You?" The pint sized computer tech retorted with a disbelieving air, "You won't make it down the block in your current state."

Jane paused for a moment, then turned to Roman, "That bag I had with me, where is it?"

He led he way once more into the kitchen and pulled the supple leather handbag from a nearby draw and handed it over. Holding the tiny torch in between her teeth Jane rummaged through it's contents, first pulling out a syringe then pulled out the small glass vials until she found the one she was looking for. Ripping the plastic off the needle she jabbed it through the seal and pulled the plunger back.

"What is that?"

"Local anaesthetic," She replied, squeezing it just enough until it fountained out the needle a little, "We don't have the luxury to wait around while I heal up and I'll be too much of a liability if I can't move when we need to.

"But won't that make you groggy as hell? How is that smart?"

"I'm not going for a full dose, just enough to take the edge off when push comes to shove. Only down side to that is it won't last long, so when we do this it's going to have to be quick." Looking over her shoulder at him she could tell he wasn't entirely convinced, "I don't like the idea any more than you do, but right now this is our best option."

"I'm going with you," He replied, holding up a hand as she began to protest, "No-one leaves the house alone, that's been the rule so far."

He just pissed her off, that much was plainly obvious. "Fine," Jane growled, "But we're going to need more than a baseball bat and a couple of steak knives."

Layla stood to one side as Roman went to find something else for a makeshift weapon. She had overheard the conversation and the whole idea, while terrifying, beat sticking around with the neighbours. "Is.. Is there anything I can do?"

"I'll need all of you to strip this house of anything that can be useful while we're gone. Warm clothes, blankets, towels, food. Whatever you can find." Crossing over to the tap she turned it on, mildly surprised to find that the plumbing was still working. "Then find anything airtight that can hold water and fill as much up as possible, we don't know when we'll find more."

The house was abuzz with a quiet, nervous energy, each of them aware of the chilled air that blew through the broken window and the faint sounds of the undead carried on it. Finding the master bedroom Jane went through the closet and found a wire coat hanger and a jacket more her size. It seemed as if the woman of the house and herself had roughly the same build as she began to go through the abandoned clothing and changed into something warmer than the thin material of surgeon's scrubs.

Roman came in to find her in a state of half dress and immediately looked at the floor, "Ready to go?"

"Almost," She replied, not at all bothered by his presence, "Find anything?"

"Crowbar and a couple of screwdrivers." He answered, finding an incredibly interesting spot on the carpet.

"Good, we'll need those." Partially peeling away the layers of tape and gauze she took hold of the syringe she bought with her and pushed it into the skin, biting down on the discomfort it caused. Pulling on a shirt she picked up the coat hanger; it was no slim-jim but she'd just have to make do. "Front or back door?"

"Back, it's a fenced yard and they haven't worked out how to get in it yet. Just means we have to jump the fence."

Seth suddenly appeared with a backpack he had scrounged up from somewhere and gave it to Roman, "Take this with you, it might come in handy."

Crossing over to them she handed Roman back his jacket, then put on her own, "Hopefully we wont be too long. When we come back be ready, I'm going to back whatever we find up to the front door."

"Any sort of time frame?"

"No, but keep an ear out, I'll think of something to let you know we're on our way back." Jane motioned for the screwdrivers and Roman handed them over, then tucked them under her belt, "Lets get this done."

The storm had worn itself out into a gentle, misty drizzle as the pair of survivors clambered over half a dozen fences until they reached the end of the block. Roman took the lead, having a better grasp on the layout of the neighbourhood. It wasn't the most up-scale of suburbs as the residential zone eventually giving way to light industrial businesses. Occasionally he'd look back, finding Jane a little winded but otherwise keeping pace with him without much trouble.

"What are we looking for, exactly?" He whispered as they crouched behind a hedge that had started to grow out now that it was no longer regularly looked after.

"Ideally a van or a truck, maybe a small bus, we need the space. I don't fancy the idea of all of us trying to cram into a sedan."

He peeked around a corner and checked to see if the coast was clear before they made a dash across the road. Keeping low they moved along the street as houses gave way to large sheds and small factories. Shortly after she tapped him on the shoulder and pointed across the road at a small auto repairs shop sandwiched in between to large buildings of fabricated concrete. He was about to cross when she stopped him; there was a Stiff hiding in the shadows on the building's left, right where the gate was. Sliding the bat out from the pack on his back she handed it to him then retrieved the crowbar for herself; being the stronger of the two he'd be able to do far more damage with the Louisville Slugger than she.

"What are you doing?" Roman hissed when she stood up and wandered into plain sight.

"Being bait," She replied, "I really hope you're as strong as you look, Roman, otherwise I'm not getting a second chance at this."

Before he could protest she had whistled just loud enough to get its attention. It turned with startling speed in their direction and its head snapped to one side, as if it wasn't sure at first if it was looking at a meal or another of its kind. It began its bumbling gait to investigate, running into the chain-link gate at first before crossing the road.

"Come on, you son of a bitch," Jane muttered as it let out a noise that set her teeth on edge once it worked out she was food and not friend, her grip tightening around the pry bar, "It's dinner time."


	4. Chapter 4

Roman felt himself tense at that god awful noise as it charged and Jane began backing up, then sprung the trap as soon as he saw it. He swung and the bat connected with a distinctively sickening crunch as its face caved in. He bashed a second time for good measure, this time crushing the top of its skull and completely mashed the brain.

"Don't," He began, not at all happy with the impulsive tactic, "Don't ever do that again."

"It's not like we had much of a choice," She replied, though her tone was slightly apologetic, "It was in the way and we're on a time limit here."

He hated that she had scared him like that but he hated it even more that Jane was right, he could already tell her side was bothering her more than she had anticipated. With the coast clear they entered the body shop.

It was dark inside and a lot bigger than it had looked from the entrance, the morning light struggling to get through the dust and grime covered windows that looked like they hadn't been cleaned since the day it had opened. The place had obviously been left in a hurry, tools were scattered across the floor as a couple of cars were in various states of repair throughout the workshop. As the approached the rear of the building the the occasional stains of oil on the concrete gave way to something more conspicuously ruddy and splattered before it smeared along the floor so they followed it. The kill outside had them on edge and alert, there could be anything lurking around here. The trail ended as abruptly as it began but there was no sign of a body, which could only mean one thing and begged the question; was it still here?

After they had finished the sweep of the shop it was clear they were alone, at least for the time being. At the back there was a door that led to the outside and when Roman tested the knob he found it unlocked. Slowly pushing it open he cringed a little at the sharp squeaking noise of the hinges and immediately stopped, listening intently in case he had drawn any unwanted attention. When it seemed as if he had gotten away with it he opened it proper, a slow grin spread over his face at what he had found and went to check it out.

Jane was peering into the windows of the cars that had been left behind, seeing if there was anything useful sitting on the seats. Most were empty but there was a backpack on the back seat of one and the doors were locked, something she found odd considering where they were. While it would have been faster and simpler to just smash the window, taking the risk of setting off any potential alarm was just a dumb idea. Taking the pair of screwdrivers from under her belt she pried the flathead in between the door and the frame, wedging it in just enough to force a slim gap open then repeated the process with the second one. She cursed softly when she remembered that the coat hanger was in the pack that Roman had but she couldn't see him. She shrugged, in a place like this there had to be something she could use. As she began rummaging around in one of the nearby toolboxes the sound of metal striking the floor clanged behind her, making her stop and turn around.

"Roman?"

There was no response, just eerie silence.

As much she wanted to dismiss it there was that same familiar urge that she had experienced in the hospital screaming at her not to. Taking a large, heavy wrench from the table she gripped it with both hands, finding a slim measure of confidence in the weight of the steel. Prowling around the rear of the car she had been breaking into Jane circled around to where the noise had originated from but couldn't find anything suspicious around a Ford Taurus resting on a jack with missing wheels. She huffed in annoyance, this whole trip was becoming taxing on the nerves.

_Suck it up, this was your idea after all._

When she went to move something seized her left ankle with a vice-like grip, throwing her off balance. Instinct took precedence and Jane lashed out with her free foot, feeling a visceral crunch as the tread of her boot connected with something but couldn't break free. She twisted, bringing down the truck wrench with as much force as she could muster. It was only a glancing blow and struck the floor with loud clarity, but just saved her leg as the Creeper had been poised to bite. Fear and anger surged, driving the second swing and planted the heavy duty tool right between its eyes.

Roman had just come back into the shop when he heard the commotion, his stomach feeling as if it had been plunged into ice water and he sprinted towards it. Rounding the side of the Taurus he found Jane sitting on the floor mashing whatever was left of the legless Creeper's skull into the floor with a wrench that was almost as long as her arm.

"Get the fucker off me!" She snapped harshly, braking him out of the momentary state of bewilderment and he crouched down to pry its fingers open. As soon As she could move it she yanked her leg free and pulled up the pants leg to check for any signs of scratches. "What are you doing?"

Roman had started to swiftly search the cadaver's pockets, "Look at what it's wearing."

"It's a police uniform, so what?" It took a second or two for the information to process, "Wait... What's a cop doing in a chop shop?"

His hand slipped out of its pants pocket with a jingle then took the couple of clips that were still attached to its belt, though there was no sign of a gun. "I'll show you." Jane took his offered hand and followed him through the back door. Sitting in the middle of the yard was a patrol car. He smirked triumphantly as the keys slid into place and unlocked the door.

"Pop the trunk." He did so then went to the rear of the car to join her, finding a shotgun thrust at his chest. Inside there was an array of all sorts of things. Kevlar vests, radios, first aid supplies, flares, bolt cutters, a rifle, ammunition and of course, "Slim-Jim."

"What's that for?"

She looked around the yard and spotted an old, large Winnebago and motioned for him to follow. Stopping a few feet away she checked underneath, there was no damn way she was going through that particular nasty surprise a second time. Circling it she checked the tires which still had air and seemed road worthy before coming back to the drivers side, its make one that had a door there. Slipping the thin strip of metal in between the gap of the window and frame on the left side of the lock she was rewarded with a familiar click and opened the door.

"After you."

Roman climbed up and checked the interior to find it free of unpleasant surprises. "Seems as if someone was in the dog house," he said, poking at a few long empty cans of beer while unwashed dishes sat in the cramped sink.

"Well it's ours now," Jane replied as he came back towards the front, finding her messing around with a bunch of wires under the steering column. "If everything wasn't going to hell I'd almost be inclined to claim divine intervention."

"Don't think you're religious then?"

"If this impulsive contempt for religion is anything to go by, not by a long shot." Flicking two wires together the engine coughed but wouldn't quote turn over. She repeated it several times until it reluctantly sprung to life. "Lets get out of here."

"How are we going to let the others know we're coming?"

She thought a second, her gaze coming to rest on the patrol car and grinned...

* * *

Jey peeked carefully out the window, wondering if the crazy chick his cousin had found had managed to get them both killed. They had been gone for a while now, he and the others having finished turning the house inside out for everything useful.

"What's that noise?" Lalya suddenly asked, something in the distance breaking the silence was fast approaching.

"Sounds like a siren," Seth answered.

AJ started heading for the hall, that was a signal if she ever heard one. "It _is_ a siren!"

A minute later a black and white patrol car came cruising down the road, sending all the Stiffs into a frenzy as they gave chase, stampeding after it as it disappeared around the corner. It was followed not long after that the Winnebago pulled up onto the lawn, Roman emerging from the door.

"Lets move."

They didn't need to be told twice, a quick human chain forming as they passed their remaining supplies along and thrown into the back of the van to sort out later. When everyone was in Roman took to the wheel again and pulled out onto the road, picking up the receiver for a CV radio from its yolk, "We're on the move."

"Copy that," Jane's voice crackled from the receiving end, the sound of sirens clear in the background.

He followed the path that the patrol car had cleared towards one of the highways that would lead them out of town, avoiding the abandoned crush of cars by driving up the wrong side of the road. Seth came to sit in the passenger seat, surprised buy the sight of the twelve gauge he found there but didn't question it. He was just happy they were getting the hell out of dodge; they all were.

And it was all thanks to a woman who didn't even know her own name.

"Where's Jane?"

His question was answered as the same patrol car roared past them then slowed down, keeping pace with the van on the right hand side. With a little laugh he picked up the radio that Roman had used.

"You... are crazy."

"That's a strong possibility," Came the response, "But at least it seems to be a useful crazy. _And_ I scored an Interceptor out of this whole thing."

"You're keeping that?"

"For as long as I'm able. Do you know how much work goes into specialising one of these things?"

"Not to rain on anyone's parade," AJ cut in, "But just exactly where are we going?"

There was silence while the question was mulled over for a while, then Jey who spoke up first, "South. I don't like the idea of being snowed under without the essentials like indoor heating."

"But _where_ south?"

"We'll work on that," Roman replied, "In the mean time, try and keep busy."

"With what?"

He bit his tongue, trying not to rise to her snippy attitude that he knew was merely born from fear of the unknown, "See what was left behind in this thing and maybe start putting away our own gear."

She stomped off towards the back, taking her tension with her. Seth eventually fell asleep, his feet propped up against the dashboard as a fragile calm settled over the occupants of the mobile home. With no destination in mind Roman simply followed the Ford as Jane pulled ahead and slipped in front of him. The city they escaped from slowly to faded in the rear view mirror, leaving nothing but the open road and all its possibilities ahead of them; he never could of dreamed what was to come and just what role their amnesia plagued companion would play in it.


	5. Chapter 5

A couple of weeks had passed since the great escape from the city and they drifted in the vague direction of south, scrounging up what they could whenever the opportunity presented itself and managing to avoid or escape a few close calls with Biters. Having found no map they weren't entirely sure where they were headed exactly, only that keeping on the move meant staying alive.

It was late afternoon when the Interceptor pulled up to a stop, its path impeded by a small collection of abandoned cars. Jane stepped out to inspect the mess as the Winnebago rolled to a halt with the small group filing out.

"Think we can get past?" Jey asked as they observed the abandoned chaos.

"Not sure," She replied, "But there's not enough juice to double back."

"We should see if there's anything worth salvaging, some of these could have some gas left to siphon at least."

"Good idea. Split up into pairs and see what you can find."

Jey went with Layla while AJ and Seth paired off, leaving Roman and Jane once again as scavenger buddies. They strolled along, looking through windows and testing doors to see if they were locked or not. It was unlikely, but sometimes people would do strange things when forced into a crisis. When they came across their first body still strapped into the seat the pair tensed; Roman raised the shotgun Jane had given him as she stood to one side and knocked on the glass to see if it moved. When it didn't respond they looked a little closer, finding that the driver had decided to end things on his own terms instead of living with the constant worry that he might have some day become a meal for monsters. Taking a deep breath she held it then opened the door, leaning over the corpse and pried a Beretta from his desiccated fingers.

Roman had backed up a few steps but the nauseating, rotting smell still hit him, "Doesn't this feel a little... unethical to you?"

She simply shrugged as she ejected the clip to check the rounds before slapping it back in and tucked the pistol under her belt, finding it compatible with what they had taken from the undead officer in the repair shop. "Why should it? He chose his path, so it's not like he's going to need this any more."

"This place, it's like a graveyard."

"Alright, I can see how stealing from the dead may seem wrong," Jane replied, "But we really don't have that indulgence to be picky. As it stands now, survival is law and practicality is king. If we don't take it then someone else eventually will."

He wasn't really in the mood to argue the point and they moved on. There wasn't much, but by the time they had finished they had a few more cans of food and a little more gas to keep them going, then worked on clearing a path to get the van past with a combination of releasing handbrakes and pushing aside abandon vehicles or using the the squad car to bully its way through. An hour or so later they finally crossed a sign that indicated a town only ten miles ahead. With the evening not far off they pulled off the the road and headed across an open field, hiding their presence behind a small copse of trees. Seth had been designated the unofficial quartermaster and was in charge of handing out the rations for the night while AJ and Layla found enough dry wood to start a small fire for a couple of hours after the sun went down.

Jane sat apart from the rest, leaning up against the back window of the squad car and looked up at the clear sky alight in an endless sea of stars. Out here under the light of a crescent moon in the grand quiet of the open countryside it was hard to believe that anything had happened at all. There was a rustle in the grass and she looked to her left as Roman came over and joined her once she moved the empty can that had held her dinner so he had a place to sit.

"You sure you still want to sleep in there?" He asked, lightly knocking on the glass.

"It's for the best after what had happened the first night I tried sleeping in the van," She replied, "I don't think Layla would appreciate trying to wake me up only to have me try and kill her out of blind impulse again." She shivered a little at the recollection, her hands wrapped around the smaller woman's neck while stuck in a haze of confusion borne by night terrors before a combination of reality, Jey and Seth had come crashing in and Jane realised what she had been trying to do. Ever since she had taken to sleeping on the uncomfortable back seat of the patrol car.

It was a thoroughly valid point, but he was still concerned about the separation and not just from a safety issue standpoint. He felt there was a danger of her drifting, becoming even more aloof than she already was before cutting ties with them and simply disappearing. It was obvious that they needed her a lot more than she needed them, and despite the unknown danger she potentially represented there was an inexplicable part of him that still wanted her around. Perhaps it was because she seemed more capable under pressure than AJ and Layla had been so far. Perhaps it was because of her fractured state of mind and his primal male need to protect something. Or as much as he had been trying to fight it, perhaps it was simply because he had found himself slowly growing attracted to her.

"Do you think this plague is everywhere?" She asked suddenly, slightly bothered by the complete lack of actual people whenever they came across somewhere that could be a potential shelter, "Or has the rest of the world simply quarantined the entire continent making sure we can't get out?"

"Last I heard there were rumours that Russia was threatening to shoot down anything that tried to cross the Bering Strait," He replied, "I'd like to think that this mess is confined to just the one place, even if we are stuck in the middle of a living hell. But the idea that the entire planet is like this? I don't even want to know." He shook his head, then let out a soft cynical snort, "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if this whole thing was because some idiot on Capitol Hill thought it would be a great idea to weaponise some obscure disease or something."

"That would make two of us." She replied, choosing to ignore the undercurrent of deep anger in his voice. No doubt he had lost a lot of good people in his life thanks to the outbreak, but she had better sense than to probe him about it. Tearing open such recent, raw wounds to simply satiate her own curiosity wouldn't help anything. Idly she wondered who she had lost, or if there had been anyone to lose at all.

After a measure of silence Roman decided to change the subject slightly, "So what do you want to do about this trip into town tomorrow?"

"When was I suddenly put in charge?"

"I believe it was when you decided to get us all out of the city and not just yourself," He replied, "Like it or not, Miss Doe, you're stuck with us now."

"Miss Doe?" She snorted a little, though didn't deny the small amount of amusement from it, "That sounds even worse than Jane."

"I could always call you something else. What about Brittany?"

"No."

"Debby?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Ariel?"

"Seriously?"

"How about Delilah?" Roman grinned a little, then sang a few words, "My, my, my, Delilah."

She finally smiled, "You do know how that song ends, right?"

"Sorry, it's the only part of it I know."

"Just as well then."

"It's Tom Jones, How bad could it be?"

Jane simply shook her head and laughed a little, she didn't have the heart to tell him the basic premise was about a cheating woman who had been caught out and her distraught lover had killed her for the infidelity. She suddenly had the absurd image of Jones crooning away as a zombie, then a horde of zombie fan girls flinging their undead panties at him. Sure, it was bad humour and a little twisted, but it simply made her laugh even more.

"Care to share the joke?"

She told him.

"That's warped."

"Then why are you snickering?"

"Because it's also funny."

Jey looked over the small fire at his cousin and Jane as the pair talked quietly to each other a few feet away, unable to stop the sly smile as he shook his head. The woman was beautiful, strong, potentially dangerous and, in his firm belief, just a little on the crazy side. Of course Roman would start developing a thing for her, the everyday ordinary was boring to him; Roman had always had a thing women with a wild side for as long as he could remember. He just hoped for everyone's sake that if something actually did happen between the two that things wouldn't end in tears, god only knew what trouble that could cause.

Eventually they all started to turn in with Seth taking the first watch. He climbed up on top of the van and wrapped a thick blanket around himself to ward off the night chill, the police rifle lying on his right and a pair of small binoculars hanging around his neck. With the nights getting colder and longer he hoped they'd find somewhere more permanent soon, he wasn't sure just how much more of this he could take.

* * *

"_Punctual as always."_

"_We try, Sir."_

_The man wore an impeccable hand tailored three piece suit, finishing it off with a high priced black silk tie and expensive Italian leather shoes that had been polished to a high sheen. He looked to be in his mid to late forties, his thick black hair greying at the temples, and was somewhat young for the position of power he held. He waved the duo towards a pair of seats that was on the opposite side of his desk, waiting until they sat before he got to the matter at hand._

_He looked briefly out of the office window that afforded him an unobstructed view of the Washington Monument then finally began, "The eggheads up in Zone Six have been working on a new bio-agent, ZTV-180, for the past couple of years with mixed success up until a few months a go when a professor Damien Sandow joined the team. The man as several PHD's in fields I can't even begin to pronounce and is some sort of scientific prodigy. He not only increased its lethality but engineered a vaccine, though there's still apparently a few kinks to work out of it."_

"_I'm sensing a 'but' somewhere here, Sir."_

_He nodded solemnly, "That would be correct, Carter. We've had a breach in security."_

"_A breach in Zone Six? How is that even possible?"_

"_Someone on the inside, it's the only way." He replied, "So now you know why you're here."_

"_Asset retrieval and threat liquidation."_

_He nodded, "Your top priority is to get ZTV-180 back by any means necessary. This virus manages to make __Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever__ look like a gift from god, so I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping the package intact." He pushed a manilla folder across the desk in her direction and she picked it up, skimming briefly through the contents then handed it to her partner, "That contains all known information on the who, what, where and why. Once you have secured the package you have authorisation to exterminate all hostiles with extreme prejudice. This __**cannot**__ find its way into the media, the consequences are unthinkable."_

"_Understood, Sir."_

"_Good." He stood up, the briefing coming to an end, "You and Carter my best operatives, and I can trust you can get this done. The stakes are too high for anything otherwise."_

_The office abruptly melted, replaced by screaming metal and humid rain. Water on the streets beginning to run red with blood._

"_I'm gonna miss you."_

_Carter._

* * *

_Carter. The son of a bitch's name is Carter._

_But what the hell is ZTV? And what does it do?_

The morning was frosty to the point where it was crunchy underfoot, the sun barely peeking out over horizon. Feeling around on the floor Jane found the notebook and pen that held all her jumbled memories scribbled down as the came to her. It seemed Roman was right about her career choice, but an operative for whom, though? FBI? CIA? Homeland Security? And just what was Zone Six, exactly? She sighed. It was like for every small answer she managed to find, half a dozen more questions would pop up in response.

Having pulled off one of the interior panels to gain access to the locking mechanism in the back door Jane crawled out, pulling the jacket tighter around her. Damn it was getting cold, she didn't know how long they could keep just living on the road. They needed to find a place where they could hunker down until it started warming up again, the sooner the better. Wandering into the RV she found Seth, Roman and AJ already awake sitting around the cramped table and a pot of cheap hot coffee on the tiny stove top. Pouring a cup she took a sip, then tried not to spit it back.

"This shit is terrible."

Seth agreed wholeheartedly, "Maybe you can keep an eye out for an espresso machine while you're out?"

"Anything else?" She asked, "A waffle iron or something perhaps?"

"A waffle iron would be great. Would be the perfect breakfast to wake up to."

Jane shook her head and smirked before continuing with the business at hand, "So, who's taking the trip to town with me?"

AJ eyed her warily, Jane's incident with Layla having cemented a strong sense of distrust. Seth didn't look to thrilled either but he wasn't one to shirk his responsibility; if she wanted him to go along he would do it without complaint.

"I'll go." Roman offered casually, breaking the tension before it could get a chance to gain a foot hold.

"I thought you'd be sick of me by now."

He simply shrugged, draining the last dregs of coffee from his mug and stood up to retrieve the shotgun from up front.

"Wait, why are you taking all the guns?" AJ asked suspiciously.

"Relax, I'm leaving the rifle."

"One rifle between four people? How is that even fair?"

It was decidedly too early in the morning for her petulant attitude, and now she had given Jane a point to prove. "Come with me."

The three of them looked at each other before following suit. Jane dug a line in the dirt with the heel of her boot and pointed at it while looking at the other woman, "Stand there. You see that big round notch on the tree over there?"

"Yes..." She replied, not quite sure where this was going.

Pulling out the Beretta, Jane flicked the safety off then handed it over. "If you hit it three times and you can keep that." When AJ simply gawped Jane started to lose her patience, "I don't have all damn morning. Either pull the trigger or give it back."

Holding the grip in both hands AJ squeezed the trigger uncertainly, cringing under the cracking report that shattered the morning silence. She tried again, and then a third time with none of the bullets finding their mark. Holding her hand out for it AJ passed it back and Jane took up a shooter's stance, then fired three rounds in quick, measured succession. Unsurprisingly, the results were drastically different.

"I trust this pissing contest has proven its point?" AJ had the decency to at least look a little sheepish and nodded in agreement. Jane sighed and ran fingers through her hair, infighting would get them nowhere. "Look, I know your scared. Of those things out there and of me, but letting you run around with a gun when you can't hit the broadside of anything won't help either. If we can eventually find more ammo, training rounds or something, then I'll teach you. All of you."

She left them there and opened the trunk of the black and white. Roman and Seth wandered over, Roman climbing into the passenger seat while Jane handed Seth a two way radio. He didn't need to be told what it was for and simply nodded his understanding. Taking a second one she went to the driver's side and started the engine. Before long they were on the road, hopeful that the next scavenger hunt would be more fruitful than the last.


	6. Chapter 6

"'Welcome to Cherryvale'. Well doesn't that sound homey."

"I think the 'abandon all hope' part in spray paint begs to differ."

It was eerily quiet as they passed the large blue and white signboard and the car crawled up the main street, made even more unsettling by the serene appearance of the place. There wasn't a single sign of unrest or anarchy, store windows remained intact and no trash or debris cluttered the side-walks. It was almost as if they had rolled into town just before the start of the day and any moment people would start arriving for work and be open for business. The only give away that no-one was around were the bushes and trees that dotted the pavement, their foliage now free from regular pruning and maintenance.

"This isn't creepy at all," Jane muttered with no small amount of sarcasm.

On the corner of the main intersection sat a large Cabela's hunting and camping store. Pulling up along side the curb the pair got out, weapons locked and loaded as they headed for the large glass doors. Roman tested it and found it unlocked, which only caused the shared sense of unease to grow. Exchanging a quick glance Jane gave him a nod and he pushed it open while she took point, making sure there were no nasty surprises lurking in the murky darkness on the other side.

"Are we stuck in a time warp or something?" Roman asked quietly, though more to himself than his companion as they took in fully stocked shelves and eye catching product displays, all covered in the beginnings of a fine layer of dust. Finding the isle that was home to a generous selection of torches and helped themselves, ripping open packets and loading them with batteries. With a reliable source of light each they grabbed a few untouched packs then split up to see what else they could find.

Despite being inside it didn't do a lot to ward off the cold, so Jane couldn't help but make a beeline for the racks of durable, warm winter wear. Jackets, coats, gloves, boots, it was all there. Quickly she grabbed something her size and slipped it on, finding a small measure of relief in something that actually fit properly. Stuffing a few more things in a pack for Layla and AJ she moved on, snatching up things here and there as she went. When Jane came to the back of the store a slow smile crept across her face, she felt like a kid in a candy store as she looked at the display cases full of knives, machetes, tomahawks and more.

Meanwhile Roman had discovered something in abundance that they so desperately needed; stacks upon stacks of food, most of them emergency meal rations. He filled one pack to the point of bursting and then started on the next, with the car right outside they could pile it up with as much as they could grab and get the hell out of here. He'd quite happily take his chances with the limited amount of fuel they had to find a way around this place now that at least one of their problems were solved. He was so focused on what he was doing he didn't realise that they were no longer alone.

When he was done Roman stood up, hefting one of the heavy bags over a shoulder and saw Jane coming straight at him wearing a mask of cold determination. There was something in her hands, both black with a sliver of glinting steel along the edge. Her right arm came back and he saw one was a tomahawk before she threw it in his direction without hesitation. He instinctively flinched but the impact never came, the wet crunching thud of the throwing axe's target coming from behind him. He spun as the body hit the floor but it was no monster, at least not the ones they had tangled with. The store suddenly erupted into chaos as people flooded in; not undead hordes but actual living, breathing people. And they were all completely out of their minds.

"Get down!"

No sooner had Jane complied Roman towered over her bringing the twelve gauge to bear and fired, throwing another ambusher back into a camping display and landing in a tangled heap on top of a chair. Still more kept coming at them, cackling wildly and howling like feral animals, flailing around a bunch of makeshift weapons; barbed wire covered bats, two by fours riddled with nails, chains, clubs and home made flails. The two scavengers went back to back as best they could and started fighting their way back to the store front, the thunderous boom of the shotgun accompanied by the sharp bark of the Beretta. Roman swore at the empty click as a guy charged at him with a large steel pipe and blocked the swing with the empty shotgun, then struck out with a heavy boot, creating space between them. Gripping the barrel he swung it as hard as he could and was rewarded with the visceral crunch of bone as the stock connected, only to have a chain warp around it and rip out of his hands a second later.

Jane pressed the machete she had been holding in her left hand into his right and pulled out the last clip as the pistol went dry. She was not going to die at the hands of crazed lunatics in some place with a name so sickeningly sweet one could picture it the home of the Brady Bunch. They were being cut off from the main entrance, so when a gap appeared in their numbers she tugged Roman's arm and headed towards the back of the store. Fighting through the half dark before coming upon the rear entrance that had been left open they made a break for it and sprinted down the alleyway, only to be cut off and forced to flee in another direction. The process repeated itself again before she realised what was happening.

_They're herding us._

"Roman-"

"I know."

The pair tried a to break away, but the mob was to well organised and they were forced down the path that had been predetermined. With no idea where they were going Roman was the first to round a corner blindly, only to be hit with an explosion of blinding pain sending him sprawling to the ground with Jane treated to the same a second after. He felt a tickling sensation crawling warmly down his neck behind his ear, a wave of nauseous vertigo throwing the world hard to port when he tried to stand. He barely caught a glimpse of who had nailed them both before something connected hard, sending him into darkness.

* * *

_Ugh, what the hell hit me?_

Roman opened his eyes slowly with a groan to find himself suspended a few inches off a hard packed dirt floor stained a dark red, aching pain in his arms rivalling the angry pulsing of his head. He was cold, having been stripped to the waist and breath condensing each time he exhaled, and he wondered just how long he had been out of it for. His mind felt sluggish and it took a moment or two for the realisation of his situation to hit him clearly.

He started looking around, his twisting causing him to lazily pivot back and forth as he took in his surroundings. It looked like a tent of some kind and a large one at that, made from a strange leather he couldn't identify. He lifted his head to find thick rope binding his wrists together that was then looped through a thick steel ring screwed into a large beam running along the centre of the tent and tied off at the far end. In front of him was Jane with her head bowed and half stripped like he was, the two facing each other, forced onto her knees with arms lashed behind her back. She became aware of his conscious state and glanced up at him briefly before turning her attention to a disturbance outside.

The flap was pushed aside and they were joined by another. The man was roughly as tall as Roman was, but a little broader and muscular. He was unsurprisingly armed, Jane's confiscated Beretta tucked under his belt while his own handgun sat snugly in it's holster on one hip, a large hunting knife sheathed on the other. Pale blue eyes appraised him as he circled the other man once, then prodded him, as if he were grading a potential prime cut hanging from a butcher's hook.

"A little underweight," He finally commented, "But overall in good condition."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

He ignored the question and unsheathed his blade, turning his attention to Jane. He crouched down in front of her, tilting his head slightly to the right, "Well aren't you just the prettiest thing."

She shivered form the cold while observing him with little more than detached evaluation, but otherwise stayed silent.

"That's very rude, you know," He said, "I just paid you a compliment, this is the part where you thank me." He slowly smiled when she continued her silence, bringing the knife up, the blade whispering over the skin and came dangerously close to her left eye, "You don't cry, you don't plead or whimper either. And then there are these; what you must have seen and done to earn such glorious trophies..." His calloused fingers caressed the scars she bared in an almost intimate fashion, like they were lovers instead of hostage and captor. "I can't help but wonder how the world looks through your eyes. Maybe I should take them so I can find out." The razor sharp edge twisted, biting a little into the flesh just under the brow. He wiped away the small course of blood that began trailing down her cheek and sucked it off his thumb, "Delicious."

He got distracted when Roman started to struggle and his fist curled tightly around the knife's hilt. The punch was vicious, the blade leaving a thin line against Roman's side where it cut him. He hit him again, then a third time until Roman was left with a matching set, each a little deeper than the last but none life threatening. Yet. Liquid crimson followed its way down contours of muscle and began to seep into the waistband of his pants.

"Not overly attached to him?" He asked Jane at her lack of protest, "Or is it simply that you know the limits of his endurance? He does look like he can handle a fair deal of punishment." He smiled again, cold and feral, and marched to the entrance of the tent where two men waited just outside, "Bring me one of the others." They returned a minute or two later, unceremoniously dumping a third person on the floor who looked distinctly the worse for wear.

Seth.

He was bloody, battered and bruised, body involuntarily possessed by tremors from a combination of cold and pain. His right eye had almost swollen shut as Seth looked up at the bizarre sight of Roman trussed up like a slab of beef and Jane looking ill-fitted to the submissive pose she had been bound into.

"We tracked him and three others down after hearing shots early this morning," He revealed, "Unfortunately some of my people got a little carried away when they went to collect them, it's been so long since we had visitors. Don't worry, their sacrifice was not in vain. We make sure nothing goes to waste here."

"You fucking butchered Jey and Layla like cattle," Seth spat venomously, "You people are _sick_." His reward for the outburst was a heavy kick in the gut, causing him to spasm in a retching, coughing fit.

"Better we take it before the undead do. As for you... You killed one of mine. Shot him straight through the eye." He crouched on his haunches and grabbed a fistful of Seth's long dishevelled hair, "If anyone injures his neighbour, as he has done it shall be done to him. Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth."

As if the paraphrased bible verse was a form of command the two henchmen who had brought Seth held him tightly as the knife appeared before his face. He fought with the frenzied rush that can only be born through absolute terror, but the prolonged abuse he had periodically suffered during the day left it woefully ineffective. The large, meaty paw of their leader wrapped itself around the back of his skull. The night was suddenly filled with inhuman screaming as his left eye was slowly, torturously carved out of its socket before mercy finally took pity on him and he blacked out after the act was done.

"Throw him back in the cage."

As Seth was dragged away he rolled the disembodied eyeball back and forth in the palm of his bloodied hand before he swallowed it whole, he turned to bathe in the expected fear he had created in both of them. Mixed as it was with his shock and anger, it was still clear in Roman when he looked for it. The woman, however... If the devil were real, then he was staring it directly in the eyes.

An dark, malevolent fury had seized Jane's being. For every bruise, every cut, every bone cracked or broken that Seth had endured she was going to repay it in kind and with interest. Her gaze locked with his and when she finally spoke her voice was bone chilling in its icy calm, "Before the dawn brakes, I'm going to raze your little camp to the ground and mount your head on a fucking pike."

* * *

_Just a quick thanks to the anonymous InterestedReader and PL-LovesDAandSPNForever946 for taking the time out to give me some feedback, even more-so the constructive criticism (Yes, an author who can actually handle and appreciate civil opinions objectively! Gasp!). _

_While I'll be honest in saying I'm still not quite sure what I want to do with the whole Jane/Keira and Roman thing, or even **if** I want to do anything at all, it will stay very much in the background should it develop past the survivor/friendship bond. Also who Jane is now might not necessarily be Keira's true nature later down the line. I mainly threw it in there if I chose to experiment with a little something near the end. _

_The premise of the story will very much remain focused on the horror, action and whatever dark twisted things my warped imagination can come up with as I always intended when the plot bunny first decided to jump in my head. I hope this allays at least some concerns, but if not then I thank you for at least enjoying the story up until this point (Though I really do hope you'll give me even just a little bit of trust and enjoy the ride as we go)._


	7. Chapter 7

_The thing shambled aimlessly, barely aware that more of its kind followed. They had left the hunting grounds of towering concrete and steel as it became harder and harder to find prey. The pack had no perception of time, only a deep seeded need to feed as they roamed in search of food. Suddenly they stopped, a familiar sound carrying through the night from far off. With a raspy, hungered groan it set off in the direction of the noise, the promise of a meal driving them all hurriedly onward._

Seth's words, along with his agonised screaming after, echoed in Roman's head. His cousin was dead. The only family he had left had been killed and carved up as food for cannibals. He didn't know what would consume him first, his anger or grief. Anger at the big bald bastard who had them here at his mercy. Anger at himself for not being there when Jey needed him. Anger at Jane for her need to prove an obvious point with AJ and firing off the rounds that drew attention to where they had been hiding. He knew the last one was irrational, none of them could have predicted that there would be a camp full of certifiable nut cases lurking around, but never the less it was still there.

For her part Jane had finally stopped trying to stare a hole into the ground where Seth's blood had spilled and took stock of their surroundings. She meant it when she said she was going to burn this particular slice of hell to the ground, but first she needed to get them both out of here first. The tent was pretty much bare bones, just the rough stitched leather patches over the basic frame, their jackets and shirts tossed carelessly into one corner. She had a good idea what the leather was made from, though she really didn't want to think about the implications of what that meant for them all. There was no furniture of any kind and considering the large stain of old blood on the floor under Roman it she could have a safe guess as to its purpose; it was a slaughterhouse.

Roman stared at the movement of her shoulders, her face scrunching up in something between concentration and discomfort, wondering just what the hell she was trying to achieve. There was a soft click from behind her back and her arms then seemed to try and strain apart from each other. Suddenly they came free after a couple of minutes and that's when he saw it, a small blade probably no longer than an two inches at most. Swinging her legs around in front of her she made quick work of the bindings around her ankles.

"Stupid question, but where the hell did you get that?"

"Same place I got the tomahawk," She replied in a hushed tone, sawing away at the rope that had him tethered, "Try not to collapse in a heap when you come down."

Almost as soon as she said it he slipped down, staggering a few steps but managed to stay upright. The sudden release of pressure on his arms was a relief he couldn't quite describe, even if they did feel like lead after spending hours strained under his own weight. Instinctively he rubbed his wrists as soon as Jane cut them free, the circulation pained his hands a little as the blood flow returned unimpeded. She folded the small knife shut and gave it to him after cutting off a length of rope. Putting the clothing that they had been stripped of back on Jane carefully peeked outside, noticing their guard had gone from two down to one.

He didn't seem to be paying to much attention to anything, his slouching posture only emphasising the boredom he felt at his task. Suddenly something had wrapped around his throat, dragged him back violently and was thrown to the floor with a boot on his spine between his shoulder-blades keeping him there. The pressure around his neck became a crushing pain cutting off his windpipe and carotid arteries as it twisted tighter and tighter. He began to panic, trying to claw at the thick cord around his neck but the lack of oxygen and blood to his brain made him feel sluggish and weak, his vision blurring as he succumbed to the darkness.

Watching someone being strangled to death was not something that was easy to watch Roman discovered; Jane's cold, hard countenance as she did it only reinforcing the idea. As if to add insult to injury she bought her boot down on the back of his neck with brutal force when the guy had stopped moving for good measure, the resulting crack unmistakable. As she rolled him over and began stripping him of anything remotely useful Roman couldn't help but notice how young he looked, he couldn't have been much older than his early twenties. She pocketed a Zippo lighter, then handed a .38 Special tucked away under his belt to Roman and kept the large knife sheathed to his leg for herself. Running the pad of her thumb across the blade to test its sharpness she snorted derisively at the result. It was was usable but the edge was nowhere as keen as it could be. Then again her idea of a sharp was something you could shave or split hairs with. Heading back to the tent flap she made sure that the coast was clear before they both snuck out. They had to find Seth and AJ, fast.

The whole camp was set up in a rough circle with a clear area in the middle. Small fires dotted various places outside of certain tents with a few people huddled around them, and both escapees were a little surprised by just how many were actually part of this madness. The fact that it had only been a couple of months at most for this lot to descend whole heartedly into such barbarous behaviour disgusted Jane, finding them all such weak willed creatures for it.

They kept to the shadows, Roman having to witness a few more times just how efficient Jane was at killing and he wondered just why she was so good at it. What did this woman used to do for a living? As he helped her drag the latest body out of the way he heard something familiar and gripped Jane's arm before she moved off, pointing to a tent to the right. They stayed perfectly still for a moment, catching the sound of faint sobbing. They looked at one another, Roman mouthing 'AJ' in reply to Jane's initial questioning expression. Quickly glancing at their surroundings she spotted something familiar and an on the fly plan started forming.

AJ shivered in the darkness while she attempted to suppress her sniffling. She and Seth had been separated the minute they had been bought back to this hell and she had no idea where he was, but she had recognised his voice when that blood chilling scream had ripped through the night. She prayed to whatever deity might be listening that he was alive but couldn't bring herself to hold out any hope for it.

"Crying isn't going to make the situation any easier."

She started a little, almost forgetting she wasn't alone. After they had locked her in the cage she currently resided in she had discovered the accompanying cell was occupied. He was in his mid twenties, his shaggy dirty blond hair and thick stubble that gave him a wild, almost untamed look. He was covered in a multitude of bruises, grazes, cuts and scars, a testament of his time endured in this hell hole. His eyes were a pale blue and had a hard set to them, like he had seen more than his share of the darker side of human nature even before the outbreak had started. There was a reason they hadn't killed him yet, but it was something he refused to divulge to a complete stranger.

The attention of both of them shifted towards the tent flap as a large silhouette was outlined by the poor light outside.

"AJ?"

At the sound of the deep, softly spoken baritone a spike relief and hope sprung to life, "Roman? Is that you?"

"Yeah," he whispered, "Are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm... ok." She watched his outline move closer and examine the lock that kept her confined.

"Shit," Roman grumbled, "You think you can get this open, Jane?"

A small orange light sparked into existence, chasing away the darkness and illuminating the three bodies crowded around the cell. She studied it and shook her head, "Not without something to pick the lock at least."

"Where's Seth?" AJ asked suddenly, his unknown fate wearing on her nerves, "I heard that scream..."

"He's alive," Jane answered.

"Jane, you can't know-"

"I said," she interrupted Reigns quietly, voice laced with a particular edge that wouldn't put up with an argument, "He's alive."

There was a sound of approaching footsteps and immediately the flame went out, the quietest whisper of steel being unsheathed the only noise from inside the tent as Roman and Jane flanked the entrance on either side.

"Good evening," The jailer leered, "The boss has shown a bit of interest in you. I'm to clean you up and take you to him." His eyes raked over her huddled, shaking form, and licked his lips, "Maybe he'll let us show you a good time afterwards since I doubt he'll give up your friend so easily. He _really_ likes her."

"I'm sure I can change his mind on that."

He whirled at the unexpected voice only to have something cold and sharp bury itself into his flesh in rapid succession, the only noise he could make a wet gurgling sound as he slumped over and rapidly bled out. Searching his body Jane tossed the keys at Roman while she plucked whatever weapons and few items he had that could be of use. The tumblers clicked into place and opened, Roman offering his hand to the petite woman inside and helped her out.

"Wait," AJ stopped and pointed at the second cage, "What about him?"

Jane studied him a moment, finding identical scrutiny staring back at her There was something vaguely familiar about him. "You're not one of them."

Nope," He replied casually, "Was suckered in by a creepy ass town that was kept so clean it squeaks."

"You going to be a hindrance or a help?"

He merely offered up a small, crooked smile, "I can play well with others if it means getting out of here."

Roman tossed her the keys and she had it open after a second. As they cautiously slipped out of the tent she pointed to the right, the patrol car sitting in plain sight with the doors ajar and trunk open. "Get in and wait for my signal, I'll be able to find Seth faster on my own. If things go to hell before that don't fuck around and get out of here."

"But-"

"Do not argue with me, Reigns. Now move your ass."

The expression on his face said it all but didn't argue, there wouldn't be a point to it and only increase the chances of them being caught in the open like this. As the three of them crept towards the Interceptor Jane quickly vanished into the darkness like it was second nature, covering ground twice as fast now she was uninhibited by a second figure. Quickly working out the vague layout that had slowly revealed itself she had a hunch in which way Rollins could be. The grouping of tents where AJ had been kept was darker than the rest of the camp, so it was a good bet this was where they kept everyone they captured until they decided on what to do with them. She finally tracked him down by following the faint sounds of agonised moaning that only the barely concious could make.

Creeping into the tent that was his she went through the keys they had taken until the right one finally clicked, Seth not even aware enough of his surroundings to acknowledge her presence until she opened the door and reached for him. He flinched and tried to push himself further back into his cell, trying to get away from the shadow that lurked by his foot.

"Seth, it's me."

He knew that voice, but it couldn't be Jane. It was just his tortured mind was playing tricks on him. A small warm light blinked awake and he could just make out the person opposite him with his surviving eye, swollen as it was. A hand was held out to him and he could feel her energy, struggling to be patient with him but feeling hurried both at once. Trying to pull himself together he reached out but froze as he saw the movement past her shoulder and shrank back instinctively.

Jane rolled out of the way as something large and sharp arced downwards and struck the top bar of the cage so hard it sparked. If Rollins hadn't reacted the way he had it would have been embedded in her skull right now.

"You certainly don't disappoint. I just knew you'd get out eventually," The camp leader declared, "I'm going to savour the taste of your flesh when we're done."


End file.
